Ignoring burn suspension leads to warnings

Five fires started in the Mat Su Borough Wednesday, with one false alarm.

Fire personnel responded to a fire on Bogard road in Wasilla when a vehicle accident sheared off a power pole.  The power transformer fell off the pole and ignited a grass fire.  MEA arrived and shut off the power and the fire crew extinguished the fire. — Another crew responded to an out of control brush fire in Palmer.  A grass fire had started by an unattended burn barrel.  A written warning was issued for unsafe burning and burning during a burn suspension. —-

The Division of Forestry responded to a fire at Finger Lake. The landowner was called and when he arrived on the scene explained it was a fire he had ignited 4 days ago and covered with soil thinking it was extinguished. —-

Two other warnings were written near the Palmer area for people using burn barrels and lighting burn piles during a burn suspension.

All the fires have been completely extinguished.

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Several large wildfires are burning throughout Alaska.  The Minto Flats South fire is now almost 134,000 acres and 186 personnel are working on that fire.  Assessment of structures along the Tanana, Teklanika and the Kantishna Rivers are occurring.  Hotshots crews from the lower 48 are assisting on the fire. 

The Chakina fire near McGrath is over 6,000 acres.

The Bear Creek fire on the northern boundary of Denali Park is over 32,000 acres, 22 personnel are working on that fire.  The Zitzianna Fire, north of Bear Creek Fire, is over 30,000 acres and 37 personnel have been assigned to fight that fire.

 Over 678,000 acres have burned in Alaska so far this year.  The Mat Su and upper Susitna Valleys are currently under a burn permit suspension and burn barrel ban.

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